We rewind to mall culture at its peak — food courts, arcades, forgotten stores, and the era when the mall was the place to be.

This week on The Midnight Release, Chase and Austin take a nostalgic walk through one of the most iconic parts of growing up in the 90s and 2000s with Episode 8: “Meet Me at the Mall.”

From Jefferson Mall’s golden days to arcades like Aladdin’s Castle, fountains full of coins, and food courts that somehow fed an entire generation, we dive deep into mall culture at its peak. We revisit forgotten stores like Gadzooks, Camelot Music, KB Toys, Suncoast, RadioShack, Babbage’s, Funcoland, EB Games, and the early days of Hot Topic — before it became what it is today.

This episode also opens the door to broader nostalgia: mall rat culture, first jobs, hanging out until closing time, clothing trends, music stores, and how malls naturally overlapped with the rise of early social media like MySpace. Chase relives a lifetime of mall memories, while Austin reflects on how different that era felt compared to now.

On the Side Quest front, we bring back Listener Memory Card, catching up on weeks of listener responses — including GameStop stories, Blockbuster memories, favorite handheld consoles, gaming snacks, and beloved (or long-gone) mall stores.

It’s a laid-back, memory-packed episode about a time when you didn’t need plans — you just met at the mall.

🛍️ Some memories didn’t need a destination — just a food court and a fountain.